HarryShumJr – Credits Rolling

Jill (Zoey Deutch) and Isabelle (Ciara Bravo) are not only sisters – they are best friends. Inseparable, ride or die, they speak to each other every single day about everything and anything. But Isabelle is sick and when she passes away, Jill’s whole life is turned upside down. Currently competing for a coveted baker position in San Francisco, Jill throws herself into her work and swears off men. As a way of coping, Jill starts leaving voicemails for Isabelle. Unbeknownst to her, the phone number has been reassigned to real estate agent Wes (Nick Robinson) and he ends up listening to all her confessions.

There are films that you watch and then there are films that make you feel. Voicemails For Isabelle falls into the latter category. I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect going into it and I’m glad that I didn’t because I was granted such a beautiful viewing experience. The storyline may not be entirely original, but that didn’t matter. Every other aspect worked.

Deutch just has this charisma about her. She’s magnetic to watch. With the heavier subject matter, I was able to see another side to her that I hadn’t before. Not only did she nail those emotional scenes, I felt like I was on this grief journey too. Each decision was so relatable and came across so naturally. It had been a hot minute since I’d seen Robinson in something. He fell right back into the romcom game effortlessly. The chemistry he shared with Deutch was sincere. I also thought the supporting cast were strong with the likes of Harry Shum Jr. and Leah McKendrick as Andy and Breeda, Wes’s best friends, as well as Toby Sandeman as swarmy podcast host Tyler, Nick Offerman as the diabolical Chef Bastien and Lukas Gage as Arthur, a classmate of Jill’s at the cooking school.

At the core of the movie, however, is the love story between Jill and Isabelle. Their bond was so incredibly special and this was captured right from the get go. I need to give a shoutout to the actresses who portrayed these two when they were younger, Alice Comer and Iris Everly, because they helped set the scene of what was to come. For once it was nice that the focus wasn’t just on a romantic type of love, but instead love in all forms. That unbreakable bond between sisters was beautifully depicted throughout and although I do not have a sister myself, it still impacted me deeply.

Voicemails For Isabelle is one of those films that wasn’t just entertaining. It had something to say and it said it loud and clear. Funny, devastating, not afraid to be vulnerable and deeply human, it was like a rollercoaster in the best possible way.

Rating: ♥️♥️♥️.5

Natalie (Nina Dobrev) is a hopeless romantic journalist from LA who has been on countless dates over the years. When she matches with handsome Tag (Darren Barnet) who lives on the East Coast, Natalie thinks that her luck is finally changing. The two spend a couple of blissful weeks talking non-stop until Tag suggests she visits him for the holidays. Taking a leap of faith, Natalie is completely surprised when she discovers that she has been catfished by Tag’s childhood friend Josh (Jimmy O. Yang). To get her to stay, Josh says he’ll help Natalie land Tag if she pretends to be his girlfriend in front of his family (James Saito, Rebecca Staab, Althea Kaye, Harry Shum Jr. and Mikaela Hoover) he tries so hard to impress.

I actually wasn’t going to review Love Hard at first. I thought it would be just another Netflix movie that would be forgettable right after I finished it. Well, I was totally wrong. While it wasn’t a masterpiece of any sort, I loved absolutely every single minute of it and figured that there was no way that I couldn’t not write about it!

There was never a question as to whether or not I’d watch the movie. The cast, in particular, reeled me in. I’ve been a fan of Nina Dobrev’s since her Vampire Diaries days. I hadn’t seen her in much lately which is a shame because she’s such a likeable person. Darren Barnet of Never Have I Ever fame is a rising star. Mark my words, he will be in a lot more projects for years to come. His looks don’t hurt either. It was also a treat having Harry Shum Jr. in this as Josh’s overbearing, perfectionist brother.

What I liked most about this film was the moral it wanted to share. Never judge a book by it’s cover. I feel like this is so important, especially today where social media has such a strong influence. It’s so easy to pretend to be somebody else, but it is important to be yourself regardless. While some say that the outcome of the story was not entirely believable, I think it worked perfectly for the tone.

Love Hard officially marked my first Christmas movie of 2021. I swear I’m starting earlier and earlier, though I can’t lie and say that I really mind. Not only was it adorable, it had me laughing multiple times and swooning at others. It was a perfect light, feel good movie that instantly put a smile on my face right when I needed it.

Rating: ♥♥♥.5